One of the keys to getting healthy, glowing skin is to keep hydrated. This means, of course, the obvious: drinks lots of water. But it also means choosing skincare that contains hydrating components such as hyaluronic acid and ceramides and filling your diet with foods that are high in water content — fruits and veggies are the best examples, but there are plenty of others.
Some foods are more hydrating than others. Due to their high sodium and sugar content, or other components such as alcohol and caffeine, other foods are more capable of causing dehydrating effects that can sap your body and skin of much-needed moisture. Here are 13 dehydrating foods that can accelerate the signs of aging, like fine lines and wrinkles. When eating these foods, it’s a good idea to drink extra fluids to combat their dehydrating effects (minimizing how much of these you consume is also smart).
Alcohol
Alcohol has a diuretic effect, which means it inhibits the release of a hormone that sends a signal to the kidneys to retain water. This results in having to use the bathroom a lot more than usual, and this can fluid loss and dehydration. The way to combat this is to minimize the amount of alcohol you drink and, when you are enjoying a drink replace those lost fluids with plenty of water.
Candy
Candy contains high amounts of sugar — and it’s this sugar that can draw water into the intestines as your body processes it. This can lead to faster fluid loss and a dehydrating effect. It isn’t as dehydrating as alcohol, but it’s also a good idea to curb how much candy you consume if you want healthier looking skin.
Salted Peanuts
Peanuts and other nuts are great for your health — they are rich in minerals, vitamins, and healthy fatty acids. But read labels carefully because many store-bought and packaged nuts have added salted that increases their sodium content. It’s important to replace the fluids you lose when eating foods that are high in sodium.
Cereal
Breakfast champions are much more savvy now to the presence of high amounts of sugar in most breakfast cereals. This high sugar content can be dehydrating, so if you are a fan of cereal check the label to make sure its added sugar isn’t excessive. You may be surprised to find that even supposedly healthy cereals that don’t seem to be coated in sugar are, in fact, overly sweetened.
Coffee
The caffeine in coffee has a mild diuretic effect and can increase urine production when it stimulates the kidneys. It hasn’t been shown to cause significant dehydration and it’s fine to have a cup or two, but it’s something to keep in mind if you consume several cups of coffee a day.
Diet Soda
It’s easy to mistake diet soda as a healthier choice to regular soda because of its lower calorie content. But many diet sodas contain caffeine, which has a mild diuretic effect, and most are made with artificial sweeteners that can irritate the stomach lining and lead to gastrointestinal issues that include dehydration.
Mixed Cocktails
Mixed cocktails provide the one-two dehydrating punch of alcohol mixed with a sweet liquid like juice. This combination ramps up its dehydrating factor, so make sure you’re replacing lost fluids with plenty of water.
Energy Drinks
Many energy drinks contain high amounts of caffeine, which has a mild diuretic effect, as well as sodium and sugar. All of these can increase fluid loss, but another thing to remember is that you may be working out harder after consuming an energy drink, and that also leads to faster fluid loss.
Processed Chicken Nuggets
Even though we are calling out chicken nuggets, this applies to many processed frozen foods: they are often high in sodium and can contains added fats and oils that can cause gastrointestinal discomfort. They aren’t a direct cause of dehydration, but can contribute to it.
Soda
Soda contains extremely high amounts of sugar and can also contain caffeine. If you notice that instead of quenching your thirst, soda actually makes you feel more thirsty it’s not your imagination. Your body may crave water when you’re drinking soda to help replenish lost fluids.
Potato Chips
Salty potato chips are very high in sodium — eating them may prompt you to drink more to replace fluid loss caused by your body processing all of that sodium. For some people, potato chips can also cause gastrointestinal issues that contribute to diarrhea and fluid loss.
Spicy Foods
Fans of spicy foods will already know this: all of that spice can make you sweat and lose fluids. For others, they can contribute to gastrointestinal issues that can further contribute to fluid loss. No need to cut your favorite spicy foods out of your life, since these foods don’t directly contribute to dehydration. But make sure you replenish lost fluids with plenty of water.
White Bread
White bread and other simple carb foods aren’t going to directly cause dehydration. But some things to keep in mind: they have a high glycemic index and cause rapid spikes in blood sugar (which can result in thirst), some contains high amounts of sodium, and all contain little water, which just means they aren’t helping you to meet your daily hydration goals. Drinking plenty of water while consuming these foods is the smart solution.
